Why Alabama, Cameron Latu retained possession on second-quarter fumble against LSU

Edward Sutelan

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Why Alabama, Cameron Latu retained possession on second-quarter fumble against LSU image

LSU thought it had forced a momentum-swinging turnover. Tigers safety Sage Ryan stripped Alabama tight end Cameron Latu of the ball, and appeared to recover it.

However, the officials ruled that because Latu touched the ball when he was out of bounds, the ball was ruled dead and could not be recovered by the defense. 

The difference between the fumble recovery and the dead ball couldn't have been bigger. Because Alabama retained possession late in the first half, it was able to wind the clock down a kick a field goal as time expired to draw the game to 7-6 at halftime. Had LSU recovered it, the Tigers would have had about 1:20 to take the ball down the field and add to their 7-3 lead over the Crimson Tide.

Why did Alabama retain possession? Here's a look at the rule.

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Why Alabama, Cameron Latu retained possession of the fumble

The rule is an obscure one, but it does exist:

"A player with one foot out of bounds behind a goal line touches a loose ball in the field of play. RULING: Ball is out of bounds and dead at its most forward point in the field of play. If this loose ball was an untouched free kick, it is a free kick out of bounds and a foul."

That's not the first time a loose ball has been ruled out of bounds based on that rule, or a rule similar to it. Randall Cobb of the Packers has taken advantage of the NFL's equivalent of the rule that if any part of a player is out of bounds on a kickoff — or loose ball — when first touching the football, the ball is ruled out.

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If you didn't know the rule, you're certainly not alone. ESPN's Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were confused about the ruling on the field, and certainly LSU coach Brian Kelly had a hard time understanding why Alabama retained possession.

And there were plenty others who were confused about the ruling on the field as well.

Edward Sutelan

Edward Sutelan Photo

Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive. Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019, where he gained experience covering the baseball, football and basketball teams. Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times.